1. The Lombardi Trophy Curse

   Who was Affected?
   

   Every NFL team since 1970.

   What Happened?

   In 1970 Vince Lombardi died, and the NFL renamed the championship trophy in his honor. According to Aslam Rawoof, no team nor head coach shall ever hold aloft the Vince Lombardi trophy as NFL world champions more than two consecutive seasons.
   
   In 47 years, no team has done it although some have won two in a row, and one player has one three in a row (Ken Norton JR) although on two different teams.

   Severity of the Curse

   
   
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   Seeing as how to get this “curse” you have to win two previous Super Bowls, this is the weakest curse I have ever heard. It probably feels the same way you feel when you stub your toe.
   

2. The 1993 Runner Up Curse

   Who was Affected?

   Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia Phillies, Buffalo Bills, University of Michigan (Basketball), University of Notre Dame (Football).

   What Happened?

   The Philadelphia Phillies lost the world series in six games to the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only did they lose the world series, they are the only team to lose the world series outside of America. The shame of losing in Canada, to Canada in Baseball was too much for the Phillies it seems, seeing as how they never even made it back to the playoffs until the 2007 National League Division series, in which they were quickly swept by the Colorado Rockies.
   
   The Notre Dame Football team had all but locked up their national title birth. In a battle of unbeaten teams, Notre Dame beat Florida State to become the top ranked team in the nation, yet Florida State remained in second place. All Notre Dame had to do was beat Boston College and they would be on their way to the national championship. Notre Dame lost, where denied a chance at the title, and have not been anywhere near one since.
   
   The Buffalo Bills were known for losing the Super Bowl by the time the 1993-1994 NFL season got underway, having lost the last 3 Super Bowls in a row. That did not stop them from trying to do it again though. After losing handily to the Cowboys in the Super Bowl the year before (52-17), they got their chance for revenge when they met again the next year. The Cowboys again pounded them (30-13) and the Bills have not been back since.
   
   The Phoenix Suns entered the NBA Finals with 62 wins and regular season MVP Charles Barkley. The Chicago Bulls entered having won the previous two NBA Finals and with legendary badass Michael Jordan. The series was odd, with the home team losing every game besides game four. The Bulls won in six games for the three-peat.
   
   The Los Angeles Kings first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals was also their last trip. Playing against the Montreal Canadians featuring Wayne Gretzky in his last Finals appearance, the Los Angeles Kings where embarrassed. They lost four games to one.
   
   Michigan Mens Basketball team played North Carolina in the NCAA Championship. With 11 seconds left in the game and only down by two points, Chris Webber of Michigan got double teamed and called a time out. This, it turns out, was a bad idea because Michigan had no time-outs left. The gaffe resulted in a technical foul, which sealed the win for North Carolina.

   Severity of the Curse

   
   
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   While it is impressive that it has happened to every team in major American sports that was the runner up that year, the curse is only 15 years old. As far as sports curses go, this one would be the equivalent of carpal tunnel syndrome.
   

3. The Curse of Barry Bonds

   Who was Affected?

   The Pittsburgh Pirates

   What Happened?

   The Pittsburgh Pirates where the home of one of the most prolific home run hitters of all time from 1986-1992. Before his steroid allegations arose, and back when he looked like this:
   
   
   
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   And not this:
   
   
   
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   He was beloved by the fans. For the Pirates, Bonds won two National League MVP awards, golden gloves, and silver slugger awards. The Pirates won the National League Eastern Division title three times in a row and came within one out of going to the World Series. After the 1992 season, Bonds left as a free agent and signed with the San Francisco Giants for a then record $43.75 million.
   
   With the Giants, Bonds won five more MVP awards and broke the single season and career home run records. The Pirates have had 15 consecutive losing seasons since Bonds left, one shy of the Major League record held by the Philadelphia Phillies.

   Severity of the Curse

   
   
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   As of the time of this writing, the Pirates are 44-54 with 64 games remaining. More than enough time to break .500, if they weren’t forever cursed that is. Another relatively new curse, yet caused by the loss of a loved one, puts this at non fatal STD level.
   

4. The Cleveland Curse

   
   
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   Who was Affected?

   Every major sports team in Cleveland.

   What Happened?

   There does not seem to be any apparent cause to this curse according to my research, so I am just going to say that it was a crazy Gypsy. According to the legend I am now creating, at the 1964 NFL Championship game, a crazy Gypsy bet it all on Don Shula and the Colts (led by Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas) to beat the Cleveland Browns. The Browns won 27 to 0, and the Gypsy let out a loud yell, “LOOOOSER”.
   
   Since then, no major Cleveland sports team has won a Championship. The Indians last won a world series in 1948 and the Cavaliers have never won an NBA Championship. Not only have they not won titles, they have been the victim of some of the greatest sports stories of all time.
   
   Remember “The Catch”? How about “The Drive”, “The Shot”, or “The Fumble”? All of these things happened against a Cleveland sports team.

   Severity of the Curse

   
   
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   To have one team cursed for over 40 years is bad enough, to have all the main teams in your city cursed that long is maddening. Add that to the total smack in the face of all the amazing plays that went against them, and you have the makings of some severe depression or alcoholism, or both. This curse is as bad as when a cop gets shot one day before retirement.
   

5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Curse

   Who was Affected?

   Anyone who has lost to the Buccaneers in the NFL regular season.

   What Happened?

   The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considered to be one of the worse teams in NFL history. Prior to 2003 they had never won a Super Bowl, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, or won a road playoff game. Since then they have done all of those things, but where founded in 1976. That iss over 25 years of torment and ass hattery, including being the only NFL team to lose every game in a season since the merger. That is, except for the dubious honor of never allowing anyone they beat in the regular season to win the super bowl. If they can not be there, and you are bad enough to lose to them, then you probably do not deserve to be there either.

   Severity of the Curse

   
   
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   Not going to the Super Bowl in itself is hard, knowing that you lost to the Buccaneers as well must be even harder. This curse is the equivalent of getting kicked when you'’re down.

Well if you look at Clausen for the long run and not just look at this season Clausen has shown pocket presence and the ability to make good decisions under pressure. Give him more than 4 games to prove that to you and Clausen will be the bright spot in the Notre Dame's future.

So far this season Clausen has yet to throw a touchdown pass but has played in all four of Notre Dames games and started three of them. He is currently 39-68 305 yards and 2 interceptions. His completion percentage is a respectable 89.5 pretty good considering he spends more time on his back then he dose in the pocket. Obviously right now the Irish do not have the talent to contend this year or probably for that case next year, but the Irish need to take the rebuilding in stride and use every positive they see as a stepping stone for the season to come.

Well as the old adage goes you are not as bad as you look, well in the Notre Dames case I beg to differ. For even the most die hard of Notre Dame fans they still believe they have a chance to win maybe three or four games this season, well its not out of the question if Clausen could get some time and the offensive line gave some running lane to whomever is caring the ball, and the defense could stop someone for once maybe they have a shot.

Most so called experts say the Irish will start 0-8 I think they will be able to sneak out three first win of the season Purdue, but then face the daunting task of UCLA, Boston Collage and then my personal favorite number 1 USC. Then to conclude the season they play Navy, Air force, Duke, Stanford so maybe they be able to sneak out a few wins there.

So if you are an Irish Fan look for the silver lining here and just look for all the positives you see this year, god only know you can probably count them all on one hand. Just give Clausen a year or so to get acquainted with the offense and expect much better things in 08.

Now of course I too am a football fan, but overall I am a sports fan and I have always admired the big games. The Yankees-Redsox games are huge, but college football rivalries are only played once a year.

One of the lessons I learned from creating such an article is to have more choices. For instance, when I first created this article I only had 14 rivalries on the list and a 15th selection for other. I had a feeling that the last choice, other, would be a popular one but I had no idea.

Cal-Stanford seemed to draw the most attention of the others. Fans of that game were down right nasty about this game not being on the list. The other game that drew a lot of attention was Texas-Texas A&M. Texas A&M fans seemed way more upset about this than Texas fans, since Oklahoma-Texas had made the list.

As I began to count the votes, it occurred to me that I could not in good conscience count all of the votes. This is because some of the comments would say something like this. “No Cal-Stanford? This list sucks.” There are two problems with that comment, one being that the voter never implies that Cal-Stanford is the best game, he just implies that it should have been on the list. The second is that he was crude about it, which of course there is no need. His comment would have been better received if he hadn't of worded it in an attempt to insult the author. Therefore, the vote did not count.

I did this with several of the comments but did grant every single BYU-Utah vote because they were not like the Cal-Stanford voters. The ones that voted for BYU-Utah either just stated that was their game or gave good reason why it should be the top rivalry. Therefore, I counted all of their votes.

As it turned out, Cal-Stanford lost out on at least 8-10 votes. Texas-Texas A&M lost out on about 6-7 votes as well. Oklahoma-Texas, Michigan-Notre Dame and Harvard-Yale are more examples of games that lost out on votes due to derogatory or unclear comments. I will say again, I could not in good conscience post a vote that was not given clearly or was tainted by cruel and ridiculous verbiage.

Another lesson learned is to not only provide more options for a poll that is so big, but also give more information on each choice, that way the voter could base the choice off of facts rather than just being a fan.

Nonetheless, it was a success. So here are the Top Five College Football Rivalries based on the comments I received.

1. Ohio State-Michigan

This Rivalry was a heavy favorite going into this article, but I had no idea it would come out so far ahead. This game received 10 more votes than the second place game did and it also received a second place vote and a third place as well.

2. Texas-Oklahoma

This one barely squeaked in at number seven. I know that these two teams have a very big fan base, which probably helped them out in this one. It is one hell of a rivalry though and proved by the number of votes that it deserved to be on this list.

3. Alabama-Auburn

The Iron Bowl showed how big it is by gaining the third most votes on the poll. I will say this though, not one of the Alabama-Auburn voters complained or dogged on the author, which made them a favorite of mine.

4. Cal-Stanford

This rivalry drew the most controversy of all the rivalries. I quickly learned by the voters comments that I should have put this game on the list. One thing that seemed odd though was most of the voters referred to The Play, which is actually one of the worst officiating mistakes in college football history. In that play, there was a forward lateral pass, which is illegal. Still it is one of the most talked about plays in history.

5. South Carolina-Clemson

I knew this was a fierce rivalry but I had my doubts that it would do any good in this pole. But the SC-Clemson game got plenty and made it to number five. There may not be another rivalry with so much violent history, as there have been many a brawls in the last century.

6. Army-Navy

This game has more heart and soul to it than any other. However, as far as a fan base and the teams being competitive on a national level, this game doesn't quite match up with the ones above. Still, you cannot deny that a football game that features future veterans and Americas finest as just another football game.

7. Harvard-Yale

I was originally going to put this game on the list but decided not to because I thought it wouldn't merit very much attention. Well I was wrong, this game almost beat out Army-Navy and it is the oldest rivalry in college football. My bad.

8. Florida-Florida State

I had originally named the Florida-Georgia rivalry (which received only one vote) and the Florida State-Miami rivalry (Which received none) but this game seemed to matter the most between the two schools. So to all the football fans of the state of Florida, I will admit I had no idea that this rivalry was the biggest in the state.

9. Texas-Texas A&M

This rivalry was one of the biggest ones I missed. I had many upset voters (Almost all of them were A&M fans) that were willing to let me know just how wrong I was. If only they hadn't been so crude in their comments, this one would have probably been number 6, which would have been a huge surprise.

10. 5 Tied at Number 10

Utah-BYU

This game is called the Holy War and if you aren't from Utah I can only suspect that this game means absolutely nothing to you. But in the State of Utah, this is the Ohio State-Michigan of games.

Washington-Washington State

This game is about the same as the Utah-BYU game except there is no separation of church and state aspect to it. Still, both of these teams have a good history in the sport and this is definitely a tough rivalry.

Oklahoma-Nebraska

Another game which I should have added to the list but I didn't because they only meet twice out of every four years now. There is no doubt that during the 80's this game meant a lot in the championship picture and there were some very great games. How could we football fans forget?

USC-UCLA

These two teams are from the same city and have a rich history, but the Cal-Stanford game seems to be the California favorite.

Iowa-Iowa State

They are from different conferences but still meet annually and over the last ten years have had some really good games. Due to the recent success of both Universities, this game is becoming more and more popular in Iowa.

There were of course other rivalry games that grabbed votes but I'm sorry to say that I am not going to list them all. One thing I cannot help but think though, over the next ten years this list may change some. As some programs rise, others are falling and with it seems to go the old rivalries.

One example of this is the Georgia-Auburn game. This is the oldest rivalry in the south, there is so much history there and the teams have almost the same amount of wins in this series yet there was not one vote for this game. Very odd to me, but then again I'm not from the south.

• Name of the Game: Apple Cup
• What's at Stake: Apple Cup (Governor's cup before 1962)
• Rivalry Since: 1900
• Record: Washington 64, Washington State 29, 6 Ties

The Scoop:

These two teams don't bring in the kind of publicity as most other big games but I assure you that there is hatred here. Mutual respect doesn't go far when these teams meet as it is one fierce inner state rivalry. Don't believe me? Just ask the fans. Even though it is a big rivalry in the state of Washington, it has pretty much been one sided and neither team has ever been considered a real threat year in and year out.

Army VS Navy

• Name of the Game: Army-Navy Game
• Rivalry Since: 1890
• Record: Army 49, NAVY 51, 7 Ties

The Scoop:

This is a big one and rightfully so. Although neither team is a powerhouse anymore, the Army-Navy game is one of the biggest stages in American sports. The series is still close although Navy has won 8 of the last 10 meetings. Still, especially during war time, this rivalry is about a lot more than just football; it is about pride, especially for the seniors. There have been many instances in the past where Cadet's (Army) had gone to war upon graduating and did not return home. No other rivalry carries as much sentiment as this one, because most of the tribute goes out to veterans and those deployed.

Pittsburg VS West Virginia

• Name of the Game: Backyard Brawl
• Rivalry Since: 1895
• Record: Pitt 59, West Virginia 37, 3 Ties

The Scoop:

Not the most glamorous of rivalries, it still has a lot of history and a catchy nick name. This is the 14th oldest rivalry in college football and is still fierce due to the schools close proximity (They are 70 miles apart) and they often compete with each other for recruits. Pitt has mainly dominated the series but West Virginia's team is greatly improving.

Ole Miss VS Mississippi State

• Name of the Game: Egg Bowl (or Battle for the Golden Egg)
• What's at Stake: Golden Egg Trophy
• Rivalry Since: 1901
• Record: Ole Miss 59, Miss St. 38, 6 Ties

The Scoop:

Like any other inner-state rivalry, this one has significance; if you are from Mississippi. It deserves to make this list because there is more at stake than just the Golden Egg; it is a huge recruiting tool. Neither team in recent years has been able to really compete on a National level so this game is generally discarded. But do know that for Mississippi, this is The Game.

South Carolina VS Clemson

• Name of the Game: Battle for the Palmetto State
• Rivalry Since: 1896
• Record: Clemson 63, South Carolina 37, 4 Ties

The Scoop:

When these two teams meet it is an explosion of hate. Don't believe me? Go to SC and find out for yourself. This is the 3rd longest uninterrupted series and approximately 40 games have been decided by a touchdown or less. In-state rivalries rarely get anymore fierce than this, as there have been several brawls between the two schools.

Oklahoma VS Oklahoma State

• Name of the Game: Bedlam Series
• What's at Stake: Bedlam Bell
• Rivalry Since: 1900
• Record: Oklahoma 78, Oklahoma State 16, 7 Ties

The Scoop:

Even though this has been one lopsided series, still the whole state of Oklahoma watches this game. Like most in-state rivalries, Bedlam is about pride. Oklahoma State considers this more of a rivalry game than Oklahoma since OU has so many other rivals and has continually been a National powerhouse. Still, count on the OSU Cowboys to come into this game ready to fight.

Stanford VS CAL

• Name of the Game: Big Game
• What's at Stake: Stanford Axe
• Rivalry Since: 1892
• Record: Stanford 54, Cal 44, 11 Ties

The Scoop:

In California there may be none bigger and the Big Game. Although this game is home to one of the greatest plays in College Football history, it has not been what it once was. Both teams are trying to get back on track and as of late it seems as if Cal is winning the battle. Even so, this is the 10th oldest rivalry in College Football and deserves a spot on this list, even though it really began as a Rugby rivalry.

Oregon VS Oregon State

• Name of the Game: Civil War
• Rivalry Since: 1894
• Record: Oregon 55, Oregon State 45, 10 Ties

The Scoop:

It is the 7th oldest rivalry in the nation and still one of the fiercest. This really is an all out Civil War and although these teams aren't legendary for playing for National Titles, this game surely is. (Especially in Oregon) Since 1997, only the home team has won this game, which proves that it is still a highly competitive game.

Georgia VS Georgia Tech

• Name of the Game: Clean, Old Fashioned Hate
• What's at Stake: Governor's Cup
• Rivalry Since: 1893
• Record: Georgia 58, Georgia Tech 38, 5 Ties

The Scoop:

It has one of the most unique names of any rivalry in College Football. There is much hatred between these two team and the history of this rivalry has more to it than just football. Georgia to this day won't count two of Georgia Tech's victories in the 40's because Georgia had lost so many players due to World War 2.

Iowa VS Iowa State

• What's at Stake: Cy-Hawk Trophy
• Rivalry Since: 1977
• Record: Iowa 20, Iowa State 10

The Scoop:

Just because it is a young rivalry doesn't mean that it isn't fierce. In recent years, these teams have become more competitive with one another and even though Iowa leads the series, Iowa State has won 6 of the last 10. This game is an in-state rivalry but it also features Big-10 VS Big-12.

Auburn VS Georgia

• Name of the Game: Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
• Rivalry Since: 1892
• Record: Auburn 53, Georgia 49, 8 Ties

The Scoop:

This game is a big one, probably not as popular as the Iron Bowl but definitely has a lot of history. This game continues to carry significance as both teams are still top-notch programs and contenders in the SEC.

Florida VS Florida State

• What's at Stake: Governor's Cup
• Rivalry Since: 1958
• Record: Florida 30, Florida State 19, 2 Ties

The Scoop:

This is a fairly young rivalry with no catchy name however this game does deserve to make the list. These two teams actually met in the Title Game back in 1996 (In which Florida destroyed FSU 52-20) and both programs have been very successful in the last 20 years.

Brigham Young VS Utah

• Name of the Game: Holy War
• What's at Stake: Beehive Boot
• Rivalry Since: 1896
• Record: Utah 52, BYU 32, 4 Ties

The Scoop:

It is called the Holy War because BYU is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Utah is a state school thus giving it the dimension of Church VS State. This rivalry is for real; both schools just flat out do not like each other, although you probably shouldn't expect too much cursing out of BYU.

Alabama VS Auburn

• Name of the Game: Iron Bowl
• What's at Stake: James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy
• Rivalry Since: 1893
• Record: Alabama 38, Auburn 32, 1 Tie

The Scoop:

The date on this rivalry is actually incorrect because from 1907-1948 these two teams did not play. Still, this game means a lot in Alabama and has had some memorable games, despite having the age-old history of Auburn-Georgia.

Notre Dame VS USC

• What's at Stake: Jeweled Shillelagh
• Rivalry Since: 1926
• Record: Notre Dame 42, USC 31, 5 Ties

The Scoop:

These two teams are two of the most historic in College Football. More Heisman Trophy winners have played in this game than any other. Although they are half a country separated, they continue the tradition of playing each other and continuously have good match-ups.

Texas VS Texas A&M

• Name of the Game: Lone Star Showdown
• What's at Stake: Lone Star Showdown Trophy
• Rivalry Since: 1894
• Record: Texas 73, Texas A&M 35, 5 Ties

The Scoop:

This has hardly been a rivalry but more of a domination by UT. Still, both teams hate each other and A&M still comes out ready to fight. The Lone Star Showdown is actually a series that involves all sports on a point basis. Texas also continues to win that as well.

Oklahoma VS Texas

• Name of the Game: Red River Shootout
• What's at Stake: Golden Hat, Red River Rivalry Trophy and the Governor's Cup.
• Rivalry Since: 1900
• Record: Texas 57, Oklahoma 39, 5 Ties

The Scoop:

There is plenty of history in this one. This game has been played on neutral ground in Dallas Texas, the half way point between the two schools, since 1914. Even though Texas leads the all-time series, Oklahoma has them beat in Heisman Winners (4-2), Conference Titles (40-29) and National Titles (7-4). This game is a heated rivalry and out of all the rivalries in College Football has probably the biggest effect on the National Title Picture. Four of the last six meetings has featured a participant in the National Championship Game and each team has one title during that span.

Michigan VS Ohio State

• Name of the Game: The Game
• Rivalry Since: 1897
• Record: Michigan 57, Ohio State 40, 6 Ties

The Scoop:

A football game may not get any bigger than this, hence the name “The Game”. Legendary coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler really made the series a big one back in the 60's and the 70's. Ever since then, these two teams bring absolute hate and each team boast huge stadiums which are sold out year after year. Last years match-up may go down as one of the best games in the history of the series, as Ohio State squeaked out a 42-39 victory over Michigan.

Tennessee VS Alabama

• Name of the Game: Third Saturday in October
• Rivalry Since: 1901
• Record: Alabama 44, Tennessee 38,7 Ties

The Scoop:

Tennessee seems to claim everyone in the SEC as a rival, none-the-less this one has major history behind it. The SEC Title has rested on the shoulders of this game many times and National Title implications a few as well. The winner of this game celebrates by smoking cigars, a tradition that was started by Bear Bryant back in the 50's.

UCLA VS USC

• Name of the Game: UCLA-USC Rivalry
• What's at Stake: Victory Bell
• Rivalry Since: 1929
• Record: USC 41, UCLA 28, 7 Ties

The Scoop:

No other rivalry has the stage like this one. Two teams from the same city with the campuses only 10 miles apart, these two teams truly do hate each other. Many would argue that it is not the biggest rivalry in California, but it is truly unique.

Florida VS Georgia

• Name of the Game: The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
• Rivalry Since: 1912
• Record: Georgia 45, Florida 37, 2 Ties

The Scoop:

There aren't many games that have the history that these two have. There is actually a Hall of Fame team for this game alone. Other than that, it's one of the only games that is held on neutral ground, which is in Jacksonville, Florida every year.

Florida State VS Miami FL

• Florida State-Miami Rivalry (Wide Right)
• Rivalry Since: 1951
• Record: Miami 29, Florida St 21

The Scoop:

Most famous for the three wide right botched field goal attempts, this rivalry has a lot of history for such a young tradition. There has also been a wide left and a Miami Muff, which are two more mistake field goals that cost the victory for each team. Between 1983-2002, these two teams won 7 National Championships (5 for Miami and 2 for Florida State) and played for 14.

Harvard VS Yale

• Name of the Game: The Game
• Rivalry Since: 1875
• Record: Yale 65, Harvard 50, 8 Ties

The Scoop:

This is the oldest rivalry in college football. This rivalry is between two Ivy League schools who do not put a whole lot of stock in football, but in this game, they play for bragging rights. What originally started out as a rugby game, this rivalry means a ton to the students and the Alumni.

Other:

There are lots of rivalries in college football. If I failed to list the one that you believe is the best, please list it so that it will be counted in with the votes.

• Name of the Game: Battle for the Palmetto State
• Played Since: 1896

There really isn't a bigger Saturday in the state of South Carolina. These two teams have one goal at the beginning of the season; Win this game.

Michigan VS. Ohio State

• Name of the Game: The Game
• Played Since: 1897

The Game is what it is called and there may be none bigger. This larger than life rivalry goes back a long time and the name “The Game” is well titled. You can always count on a great game when these two meet and the winner is usually the Big Ten Champion.

Alabama VS. Auburn

• Name of the Game: Iron Bowl
• At Stake: James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy
• Played Since: 1893

Hate, there is really no other way to describe how these two schools feel about each other. They honestly, flat out hate each other, which is perfect for watching football. They call it the Iron Bowl, and in Alabama, this is the game that really counts.

Florida State VS. Miami (FL)

Wide right, that is what it has come down to; botched field goals at the final seconds of previous games between these two teams. This game is an all out battle. All though it has only been a rivalry since the early "80"s and it really has no clear name, this game still deserves to be on the list.

USC VS. Notre Dame

• At Stake: Jeweled Shillelagh
• Played Since: 1926

They play this game for the Jeweled Shillelagh, they play this game for pride and they play it for the Championship picture. These two teams have had more Heisman Trophy winners play in this game than any other. It has been played since 1926.

Oklahoma VS. Oklahoma State

• Name of the Game: Bedlam Series
• At Stake: Bedlam Bell
• Played Since: 1900

This is the Bedlam game, a game in which is a fierce inner state rivalry in Oklahoma and a battle for the Bedlam Bell. Even though Oklahoma is the power house of the state, Oklahoma State will always come and play the Sooners tough.

Georgia VS. Georgia Tech

• Name of the Game: Clean, Old Fashioned Hate
• At Stake: The Governor's Cup
• Played Since: 1893

Clean, Old Fashioned Hate is the unique, but fitting name of this rivalry game. They play this game for pride and for bragging rights. Upsets have happened often in this big game.

Oregon VS. Oregon State

• Name of the Game: Civil War
• Played Since: 1894

When these two teams meet it is brutal. There have been many upsets in this series because both teams play with so much heart.

Army VS. Navy

• Name of the Game: Army-Navy Game
• Played Since:1890

Every patriotic American should automatically know that this game is about a lot more than football. It is about pride. It is about war. Even if both teams stink all year, it doesn't matter because when this game comes around, there is only one thing that they care about; Beating the other team. The whole Army and the whole Navy watch and cheer during this game, as does all the Veterans and the Nation.

Pittsburgh VS. West Virginia

• Name of the Game: Backyard Brawl
• Played Since: 1895

If you are from one of these two states, then you would understand how much is really at stake here. These two teams have a big history of close games and big upsets.

UCLA VS. USC

• Name of the Game: UCLA-USC Rivalry
• At Stake: Victory Bell
• Played Since: 1929

California has big schools and therefore produces big inner state rivalries, but none come with more hate than this one. UCLA in recent years have had the smaller program, but continue to come in and keep it close.

Oklahoma VS. Texas

• Name of the Game: Red River Shootout
• At Stake: Golden Hat, Red River Rivalry Trophy and the Governors' Trophy
• Played Since: 1900

They call it the Red River Shootout, these two teams have been going at it for over a century now. In recent years, the winner of this game will eventually be the Big 12 Champion for that year and also the winner could be on the way to the Championship game. Since 2000, one these two teams have played for the National Title 4 times and each have won it once.

Florida VS. Georgia

• Name of the Game: The Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
• Played Since: 1912

It is called “The Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” even though neither school will give it that name officially. Although Georgia fans probably hate Georgia Tech more, this game has helped decide quite a few SEC titles over the years and usually has implications on the National Championship picture.

Iowa VS. Iowa State

• At Stake: Cy-Hawk Trophy
• Played Since: 1977

Even though it is a relatively young rivalry, this game is always good and packs quite a punch. Every year it seems to be a close game and there have been many good upsets.

Other:

You decide if there is a bigger game. Leave a comment with the schools and a few details of why it is the biggest.

1. Michigan
2. Notre Dame
3. Oklahoma
4. U.S.C.
5. Alabama
6. Miami (Fla.)
7. Pittsburgh
8. Penn State
9. Nebraska
10. Colorado
11. Ohio State
12. Tennessee
13. Florida
14. U.C.L.A.
15. Georgia